Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.
This wears well.
“Distrust compassion”: really? Distrust loud boasts of compassion certainly.
“Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.” Not a happy family man, then.
Anyway, he clearly doesn’t mind giving himself a hearty pat on the back.
Compassionate thinking may be blinding if it displaces critical thinking. The same is true of gratitude and other emotions that are usually admirable. There are no emotional free lunches.
The advice about not living for others more than they are willing to live for you seems reasonable, family excepted.
“Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity”
Gales of riotous laughter. Never be spectator of politics, law, journalism, studies programs, various -isms, street theatre, pride parades,”¦ The list in infinite.
This is a difficult one.
Hitchens feels the same about it as Ayn Rand.
The subject of our compassion is human suffering.
Compassion makes us feel good.
This is by design for obvious reasons – to facilitate help to ease suffering.
However, sometimes something goes haywire and we get hooked on the feeling of compassion for compassion’s sake. In this case suffering must be perpetuated or even expanded to sustain the selfish gratification.
Although neither Hitch nor Rand would like this, the solution comes to us from the good book – temper your heart with some of Jonathon’s critical thinking –
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered
However, sometimes something goes haywire and we get hooked on the feeling of compassion for compassion’s sake.
True. I had in mind the fact that some people use other people’s compassion as a lever to exploit them.
Jonathan-liberals love victims so they can pat themselves on the back on how compassionate they are. The proof they are not is in their complete lack of interest in whether the programs they support work.
Quote courtesy Thomas Sowell
Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm– but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
— T. S. ELiot3